Even if You're Different
by TigerStripe is Numbuh 6.13
Summary: When Kouji turns into a Digi-Egg,Zoe vows to watch over him day and night until he returns.But when he does hatch,he doesn't remember anything,nor is he himself... HIATUS;READ THE STORY OF DRAKATH SUMMARY FOR INFO WHY. I promise I'll continue this!
1. What Happened

**Zoe's POV**

There are many mysteries in the Digital World.

A human turning into a Digi-Egg is one of them.

Oh sure, now you're calling me crazy! I am not crazy! I _have _seen a human turn into a Digi-Egg!

Wait, let me start from the beginning, going through every single detail in my point of view, OK?

* * *

><p>We were just hanging around, six Digidestined and three Digimon waiting for our meat apples to be done cooking. I, Zoe Orimoto, was sitting in front of the fire, watching my meat apple. Takuya Kanbara, the idiotic gogglehead, was with Tommy Himi, watching J.P. Shibayama doing magic tricks. Kouichi Kimura was talking with Bokomon, Neemon and Patamon, and Kouji... Kouji Minamoto was just sitting with his back to the tree looking at the sky.<p>

Yup, just a normal night.

"Hey Z!"

I looked towards my right, and saw J.P. calling me. He was smiling. "Why don't you watch my magic tricks, Zoe? It'll be fun!"

I shrugged and sat beside Tommy. J.P. broke into a wide grin before performing another of his magic tricks. "OK, for my next trick..."

I zoned him out as I looked around. Kouji had stood up, and was walking deeper into the forest. Being the curious girl I was, I excused myself from the next trick and stood up, following Kouji. I was careful not to make a sound, because if Kouji knew I was following him, it would be like being pushed off a cliff and landing into a spike pit.

A beeping noise came from my D-Tector, and I cursed myself for bringing it. Kouji heard the beeping, and immediately he darted. I ran after him, occasionally whacking my D-Tector for being so noisy.

"Wait, Kouji!"I called.

Kouji slowed down by a millimeter, but just a millimeter. He was still many meters ahead of me. His dark blue eyes looked at me for a second before he started taking detours.

"Wha-"I started, but suddenly Kouji appeared behind me. I literally jumped five feet in the air.

"How did you get behind me so fast?"I asked him. He was smirking now.

"I guess Lobomon has rubbed off on me."He said, looking pleased that I was surprised.

I huffed. "As if!"

Kouji scoffed. "You couldn't do any better."

I was about to shoot back a remark at him, when suddenly, something emerged from the bushes. On instinct, I rushed to the first person in sight.

Unfortunately, that was Kouji.

Once I realized it was Kouji, I immediately let go of him as I said, "Sorry!"His face was tomato red, and he was literally frozen on the spot, like the time we were in the Dark Terminal.**(A/N:Is that right?)**

"N-no problem..."He muttered.

I turned to face the thing. It looked female, because she had long grey hair that flowed behind her. Her black helmet revealed bloodred eyes. Tattered black wings emerged from her back, and her left hand was replaced by a long spike.

"Kouji? Zoe?"Tommy's voice came from behind us. We turned around to see a terrified Tommy calling for the others. Takuya, J.P., Kouichi, Bokomon, Patamon and Neemon rushed towards us.

"What is _that_?"Takuya asked.

Bokomon looked at the Digimon, and literally jaw dropped. He took out the book he brought along and flipped many pages before he stopped and looked at the Digimon again.

"Oh my!"Bokomon gasped. "It's LadyDevimon, a Fallen Angel Digimon! This Digimon is the evil counterpart of the angelic Angewomon, and is very evil! If she uses her Black Wing attack, you're as good as dead!"

"Light..."The LadyDevimon muttered. She sounded as if she was in a trance. She pointed her spike at Kouji, whose eyes widened. "Must... defeat... Light..."

"Oh no you're not!"Takuya yelled. We all raised our D-Tectors.

"EXECUTE! SPIRIT EVOLUTION!"

I felt the familiar ring of data around my body as I turned into Kazemon.

"AGUNIMON!"

"KUMAMON!"

"KAZEMON!"

"LOBOMON!"

"BEETLEMON!"

"LOWEMON!"

"Hurricane Wave!"I yelled. Tornadoes erupted from my fingertips as I tossed it at LadyDevimon. She raised her spike, and the tornadoes missed.

"What?"I exclaimed angrily.

"We'll handle this!"Beetlemon, Lowemon and Agunimon said.

"Lightning Blitz!"

"Pyro Punch!"

"Shadow Meteor!"

Their attacks merged into one and hit LadyDevimon, who stumbled. "Now, Kumamon!"Lowemon called. "Freeze her!"

Kumamon brought out his Romeo launcher. "Blizzard Blaster!"He shouted, shooting snowballs at LadyDevimon. It hit her, but she shook it off quite easily. It seemed to have snapped LadyDevimon out of her trance, because suddenly her eyes narrowed, and she laughed quite evilly.

"My turn."She raised her spike once again, but this time she pointed it at Kumamon. She started darting for him.

If I could remove my visor, I'm sure my eyes had widened in fear. "Kumamon!"

"Black Wing!"

I covered my eyes, but then I remembered I had a visor over my eyes, so I removed them, but I could still see what happened. Boy, was I surprised and terrified at what I saw!

Kumamon's nose was just inches away from the tip of LadyDevimon's spike. He immediately darted for Agunimon. But what had surprised me was that LadyDevimon's spike _did _impale someone, but it was someone who I never expected to be impaled.

LadyDevimon's spike had impaled Lobomon.

Lobomon's Fractal Code appeared, and LadyDevimon scanned it without hesitation. Kouji's spirits disappeared into his D-Tector, and his form was black.

"Shadow Meteor!"Lowemon yelled angrily, aiming his attack at LadyDevimon. She was totally unprepared and was hit full on. Her Fractal Code appeared, and Lowemon scanned it.

We all turned back into humans, but Kouji's form was still black and floating in the air.

"What's happening?"I asked in terror.

Bokomon didn't answer, because he was staring up in fright like me and the others, especially Kouichi. We waited for one more minute before Kouji's form changed into something smaller and landed on the grass. We all slowly approached the object, and once we could see it clearly, we were all scared.

Kouji had turned into a Digi-Egg.


	2. Close to His Heart?

**3rd Person POV**

"W-what happened to Kouji?"Tommy stuttered.

Neemon looked at the Digi-Egg. "He got turned into a Digi-Egg!"

"We know that, you ninny!"Bokomon snapped Neemon's pants. "Tommy meant what _made _Kouji turn into a Digi-Egg!"

"That hurt!"Neemon protested, but the others weren't listening. They were looking at a small black kitten looking anguished at the Digi-Egg.

"Who are you?"Takuya asked the black cat.

The cat turned around, its amber eyes full of regret. "My name is BlackGatomon, the Champion form of LadyDevimon. Once you scanned my data, I reverted to my original form."

"But isn't that supposed to be a rookie?"Tommy asked.

BlackGatomon nodded. "I cannot revert back to my first form because..."

"Because if she reverts back, she can turn into either Gatomon or BlackGatomon."Bokomon finished.

"So she's a Holy Digimon?"Zoe asked.

BlackGatomon shook her head. "No. Angewomon is the Holy Digimon. LadyDevimon is a Fallen Angel Digimon. Thus, I'm a Dark Digimon. Look what happened."

"OK, see here, kitty!"J.P. yelled at BlackGatomon, who cowered. "Let's just get straight to the point and find out what happened to Kouji!"

"I think I deserve that yelling."BlackGatomon shrugged before continuing. "This... Kouji turned into a Digi-Egg, am I correct?"

"YES!"Everyone yelled.

BlackGatomon's ears twitched. "He is human, so this is not possible, unless..."Her amber eyes widened in realization.

"Unless what?"Zoe asked impatiently.

"Unless half of his data is half Digimon."BlackGatomon murmured.

Everyone was silent for a few minutes. Takuya's eyes widened. Tommy had started to cry, while J.P. and Kouichi were trying to cheer him up. Bokomon had his mouth open, and Patamon had sunk to the ground. Neemon was unaffected until Bokomon snapped his pants. And poor Zoe had paled. She was practically as pale as Snow White now.

"So that's why he was that quick when he snuck up on me..."Zoe murmured.

Kouichi looked at BlackGatomon. "What do you mean, his data is half Digimon?"

"Part of the Legendary Warrior's data has replaced half of his human self. For example, look at my paws."She raised her purple gloves. "One half is his human self, attitude, appearance, the works. The other half is Lobomon's skills, abilities and such. And that includes his data composition."

"So Kouji is..."Kouichi trailed off.

"A half-Digimon."BlackGatomon finished his sentence. "And if you remaining humans get your Fractal Code scanned, you'll turn into Digi-Eggs too."

"Wait, so we're _also _half-Digimon?"Takuya had recovered from his initial shock and was now looking at BlackGatomon.

"I'm afraid so."

"Oh man!"J.P. panicked. "What do I tell my parents? They'll freak!"

Zoe smacked him on the face with her hand. "We _won't _tell them! We'll act as if everything. is. NORMAL!"

BlackGatomon's amber eyes looked at Zoe, a bit unnervingly. "You can't return to the Real World unless you're fully human."

"Why not?"Tommy asked.

"Digimon can't go into the Real World!"Neemon repeated.

"So? We're only _half _Digimon!"Takuya protested.

BlackGatomon purred, "Would you rather go there as yourself or as a human with only half his body intact?"

Takuya gulped and stepped back. "I didn't think so."BlackGatomon laughed before remembering the situation at hand. "Who is the closest to the young Kouji?"

"Kouichi."Everyone except Kouichi said at the same time.

"He's Kouji's twin."Bokomon explained to BlackGatomon, who shook her head.

"Sometimes being linked at birth isn't enough. I need someone who is very close to his heart. Possibly as close as his brother's link."The black cat said. Suddenly remembering, she said excitedly, "I know a solution to this! Everyone, please approach the Digi-Egg and touch it."

"Why?"Patamon asked.

"The Digi-Egg will glow pink when the closest one to his heart touches him. Now, you first."She gestured to Tommy, who hesitatingly touched the Digi-Egg. It glowed green.

"Close, but not close enough. You next."BlackGatomon pointed to J.P., who touched the Digi-Egg. It glowed black.

"He...despises you..."BlackGatomon muttered.

"What? What did I do to him?"J.P. asked indignantly.

"Never mind, you next."Takuya approached the Digi-Egg and touched it. Kouji glowed a bright yellow.

"Best friends, I see. You, his twin."Kouichi approached his brother's Digi-Egg and touched it with trembling hands. It glowed red.

"Very close. You last."BlackGatomon pointed to Zoe, but the blond haired girl shook her head. "I am not going to touch that Digi-Egg!"She said.

Takuya and Tommy grinned evilly at each other and quietly snuck behind Zoe. Then they pushed her, yelling, "Touch him!"

"AH!"Zoe screamed as her hands landed on Kouji's Digi-Egg. His Digi-Egg glowed pink, which turned darker pink as she grasped it harder.

"Mutual attraction."BlackGatomon held back a giggle.

"What does that mean?"Both Zoe and J.P. demanded.

"It means..."BlackGatomon had to step on her tail to keep from laughing. "It means he likes you. Not in the friend kind of way."

Zoe turned bright red. "U-u-uh, uhm..."

"What?"Immediately J.P.'s hands balled into fists. "If I just could, I'd crack his egg right now!"

BlackGatomon's eyes flashed. "You will do no such thing."She bared her teeth.

"I _did _say if I _could_!"J.P. said to BlackGatomon.

"Still, J.P., you have to calm down. Zoe's just going to take care of him for..."Takuya looked at Bokomon."How many days till a Digi-Egg hatches, Bokomon?"

"Hm... let's see..."Bokomon got out his book and flipped through the pages. "I think... twenty days."

"TWENTY DAYS?"Everyone shouted, even Kouichi.


	3. Kouji Can Talk!

**About BlackGatomon knowing practically everything,she knew what would happen because something similar happened to another human before.(Note:That's kind of like a hint at the next story once I finish this one.)**

* * *

><p>"Why twenty days?"J.P. shouted at Bokomon, who cringed. "Patamon didn't take <em>that <em>long to hatch from his egg!"

"Uhm... well..."Bokomon made a signal to BlackGatomon that clearly said _Somebody help me here..._

Sighing, BlackGatomon explained, "A regular Digimon takes ten days to hatch. But since he's only half-Digimon, it becomes twenty days."_Although after twenty days, he'll be completely reconfigured._ BlackGatomon thought sadly.

"So, I have to hold onto Kouji for twenty days?"Zoe asked her, Kouji's Digi-Egg in her arms.

"I'm afraid so, or else."BlackGatomon looked regretful. "I'm truly sorry I caused this, I..."

"Alright, alright, geez, enough with the pity party."Takuya held up his hands. "We just don't know if Kouji will forgive you when he hatches."

"That... might be a problem..."The black cat muttered. _On your part._

* * *

><p>"So, BlackGatomon, where'd you come from?"Tommy asked the Digimon as they walked back to the fire, which was miraculously still alive.<p>

"Oh, honestly, I don't remember."The kitten said honestly as she picked off a meat apple from the tree nearby. Sticking it on a stick next to the fire, she waited with the others for the apples to cook.

"Really?"Kouichi looked a bit confused.

BlackGatomon nodded. "Yes. I don't remember. All I know is that I have a sister called Gatomon and Nefertimon for my mother."

"Tough luck."J.P. said.

"Even if I'm a Virus Digimon, my sister says I'm pretty nice when I want to."BlackGatomon sighed. "Oh, if only I could let him hatch after ten days..."

"Why, is something going to happen?"Zoe asked, Kouji's egg on her lap. She took her cooked meat apple and chewed it, waiting for BlackGatomon's response.

BlackGatomon realized she had said this out loud, because she suddenly said, "Oh dear me, I've babbled again, have I?"

_BlackGatomon's acting strange..._ Zoe thought before simply putting it off as a blunder. She prodded Kouji's Digi-Egg with interest.

"Hm, Zoe, you shouldn't poke him like that."BlackGatomon said absently, taking her meat apple. "You might damage his shell."

"Oops."Zoe stopped prodding the Digi-Egg.

"Oh, before I forget," BlackGatomon took off her right gloves and pulled out something. It was Kouji's bandana and D-Tector.

"You'll need those once he hatches."BlackGatomon told Zoe, who looked bewildered. "Just trust me."

"Hey, I wonder if Kouji can hear us."Takuya wondered out loud.

J.P. said sarcastically, "We can hear you, Takuya."

Sheepishly, Takuya replied, "Well, what if? BlackGatomon, can he hear us?"

"I haven't thought of that. I don't even know if that's possible. Well, it wouldn't hurt to try."BlackGatomon looked at Kouji's Digi-Egg. "Kouji?"

The Digi-Egg didn't respond. Sighing, BlackGatomon made way for Takuya to try.

"Hey, Kouji buddy, can ya hear me?"Takuya yelled at the egg, which made Zoe wince.

"You blasted off my eardrums, Takuya."She muttered, to which Takuya replied with, "Sorry!"He waited for a response from Kouji, and everyone was delighted to hear a faint whisper from the egg for a moment.

"Whee, it worked!"Takuya stepped aside to let Tommy and J.P. try out.

"Hey Kouji, can you hear me?"Tommy asked. A whisper was heard again before J.P. stepped forward.

J.P. asked, "Kouji, can you hear me, hello?"

Kouji was silent, much to J.P.'s disappointment. Kouichi was next, approaching his brother's Digi-Egg anxiously before asking, "Kouji, brother?"

_Kouichi..._

Everyone's heads snapped up as they heard Kouji's voice for the first time since he turned into a Digi-Egg. Kouichi's eyes widened for a moment before he asked again, "Kouji, can you hear us?"

_I think I can..._

"Kouji? Can you hear me?"Zoe asked tentatively, to which Kouji responded immediately.

_Yes._

"How loud are we to you?"Tommy asked.

_Tommy? Is that you?_

Tommy said, "Yeah, Kouji. Can't you hear me?"

_Well, I think I can hear you. I can tell who's who, but..._ Immediately something happened. Kouji's Digi-Egg seemed to change color from blue to bright pink.

"What the..."Takuya and the others jumped back. "What happened?"

_I..I..._

"Spit it out, Kouji!"J.P. demanded.

_...Zoe's the only one I can hear clearly..._

"What?"J.P. stomped back and shook a fist at Kouji. "Why you..."

"Stop it, J.P.!"Zoe stood up and nearly let go of Kouji's Digi-Egg. She hugged his Digi-Egg to her chest, which made his egg turn darker pink.

_Zoe, you don't have to do this..._

"Stop being an idiot, J.P.!"Zoe yelled at the older boy, who seemed to shrink back. "Kouji can hear me clearly because I'm holding him! That's the only reason!"When she saw Takuya about to reach over for the egg, she said to him, "You know I can't let go of him! BlackGatomon said so!"

"J.P."BlackGatomon looked at J.P., seriousness evident in her eyes. "Stop."

J.P. reluctantly stepped away. "Alright, but if Kouji does anything funny..."

"He's a Digi-Egg!"Zoe yelled at him. "What can he do?"Her green eyes blazed angrily at him.

_Um, I can do this?_

A stick floated up in the air suddenly and whacked J.P. on the head. "Ow..."J.P. moaned, rubbing his head.

"You can do that?"Kouichi asked the Digi-Egg.

_I just found out now._

"Oh."

"I think it's time we got to sleep, children. Tomorrow, we'll be moving camping sites."Bokomon told them.

"Why?"Neemon asked him.

"You want to be eaten by a big Digimon?"

"Yes."

"Ohh..."Bokomon face palmed in exasperation before snapping Neemon's pants, to which the rabbit Digimon immediately replied with, "No! No! I'm sorry!"

"Don't you think someone should keep watch?"Tommy asked.

BlackGatomon raised her paw. "I'll watch for the duration of the night. I'm more of a night person anyway. Go to sleep now, children. Oh, and Zoe," BlackGatomon turned to Zoe's retreating form. "Don't let go of his Digi-Egg, OK?"


	4. Ah,Denial and A Short Glimpse

_**Day 1**_

_**The next day...**_

_Zoe?_

"Mmm..."Zoe murmured. She was curled up on her makeshift bed, hugging Kouji's Digi-Egg close to her chest. Although you couldn't see it, it was evident from Kouji's voice that his cheeks-if he had any while inside the Digi-Egg- were burning up.

_Zoe, wake up!_

"Wha... stop it Takuya..."Zoe hugged the egg closer, and Kouji couldn't take it anymore.

_WAKE UP!_

"AAH!"Zoe jolted up, nearly letting go of his Digi-Egg, much to his chagrin. She settled his egg in her lap. "What was that for, Kouji?"She asked, a bit cranky from being woken from her slumber.

"Wa...what happened, Zoe?"The others were slowly rising, awoken by Zoe's scream. It was Takuya who had spoken.

"Ask Mr. Minamoto!"Zoe said crossly.

_I...er..._

"Seriously, Kouji."Takuya stared at the Digi-Egg. "What did you do?"

_She was hugging me too much._ His Digi-Egg, which had recovered from last night's events and had returned to blue, was now pink again.

"So that's it?'Zoe asked, fighting back the blush that threatened to color her cheeks. "That's why you woke me up?"

_It's either that or I would be mentally scarred for life by being hugged by a girl at this stage._

"Good point."Takuya mused.

"Children, we must get going."BlackGatomon dropped out of a nearby tree and approached them, yawning.

J.P. protested, "But we haven't even had breakfast yet!"

_Trust J.P. to think of his stomach._

"Hey!"J.P. glared at Kouji's Digi-Egg, who had turned back to a blue color.

"But still, J.P.'s right, we can't walk around on an empty stomach."Tommy said, to which everyone reluctantly nodded.

* * *

><p>After they had eaten breakfast, the Digidestined had taken off towards Ophanimon's castle, with BlackGatomon leading the way.<p>

"Tell me again why we're going to Ophanimon's castle?"Takuya asked the cat.

Yawning, BlackGatomon replied, "My mother is there, and I'll bet that Ophanimon will have answers for you."

Zoe looked at Kouji's Digi-Egg, which she held in her arms. "Did you hear that, Kouji? We'll know what to do when you hatch on the twentieth day! Aren't you glad?"

_Er..._ Kouji's voice cracked, like the time before he turned into a Digi-Egg. _I guess so... _But inwardly, he was thinking, _**Just when I was getting used to being carried around by Zoe...**_

Zoe smiled at him, although they both knew he wouldn't see her smile. "I knew you would!"

"Hey, how come Kouji's egg gets hugs from you?"J.P. whined.

Everyone looked at Kouji's Digi-Egg, and they were surprised to see Kouji's Digi-Egg turn magenta at J.P.'s comment.

"That's because he's a Digi-Egg now, and Digi-Eggs need to be cuddled and protected!"Zoe replied to J.P., hugging Kouji's Digi-Egg closer.

_Uh...uh..._If he was magenta before, he was practically red now.

"Zoe, it's only the first day, and already you're cuddling Kouji like he's your boyfriend!"J.P. protested, to which both Zoe and Kouji's Digi-Egg turned an even darker red.

_C-c-cut it, J.P.!_

"Hey, is my little brother stuttering now?"Kouichi teased, patting his brother's Digi-Egg. "Well, well, well, has my little brother developed a crush on the fair Zoe?"

_KOUICHI!_

"KOUICHI!"Zoe and Kouji screamed in unison, the latter's Digi-Egg practically blood red now, and Zoe's cheeks were so flushed, that Takuya and Tommy thought her whole body would become red from embarrassment.

Suddenly remembering, Kouji made a stick whack Kouichi upside of his head.

"Ow..."Kouichi rubbed his head, where a bump had grown.

"Never. Do that again."

_Never. Do that again._

The two were perfectly synchronized in their words now, and they realized it, because Zoe nearly dropped his Digi-Egg in her embarrassment, and the stick floating in the air was quivering.

Takuya and Tommy fell to the ground in laughter, while J.P. groaned in pure broken heartedness. BlackGatomon snickered, while Bokomon looked on, a smile lighting up his face. Patamon was waving his paw in front of Neemon's face, who was staring blankly at them.

"S-stop it!"Zoe stuttered, her hands shaking violently.

_Zoe! You're making me dizzy!_

"S-sorry!"Zoe stopped making her hands shake. "B-but the others are practically teasing us!"

Suddenly, Kouji's Digi-Egg glowed a scary black, much to Zoe's surprise, and the others' terror. The others practically swore that they saw Kouji's silhouette emerge from the Digi-Egg and approach them angrily.

"We're sorry! We're sorry!"Everyone pleaded.

Kouji's egg stopped glowing black. _Good. One more teasing and you guys are dead meat._

BlackGatomon stopped snickering and started leading the way again. "Honestly, I wonder why I even bother..."BlackGatomon muttered to herself.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Timeskip to night time<strong>_

"Man, I'm tired."Takuya yawned as they settled in their next camping spot. "I think I'll snooze for a few minutes..."He started sinking to the ground when a quick tap on the head with a branch made him jolt back up.

"What was that for, Kouji?"Takuya demanded.

_A few minutes, eh? You'll sleep through the whole night, I bet!_

Takuya turned red. "Ah, I won't!"

"But you're tired now, Takuya. Everyone is. And BlackGatomon's already knocked out for the night."Zoe pointed out. "Eat dinner first before going to la la land."

"Fine..."

* * *

><p>"Well, guys, I'm hitting the hay! Or in this case, leaves."Takuya started determining who should sleep in their designated place."OK, I sleep here, Tommy in the makeshift bed next to me, then J.P. next to him, then Neemon, Bokomon and Patamon in three beds, then BlackGatomon, then Zoe and Kouji have a makeshift bed all to themselves."<p>

_Wait... what?_

"What? You were sleeping next to Zoe yesterday, so it shouldn't be a problem now."Takuya told Kouji.

_Fiiiine. But here's an easy way to hit the hay, you know, Takuya._

"Really? What?"Takuya asked, but he immediately regretted it, because Kouji had smashed a branch on his head, immediately knocking him out. Sweat dropping, the others quietly dragged Takuya's unconscious body to his supposed sleeping place.

"Kouichi, could you watch for the night?"Bokomon asked the bearer of Darkness. He shrugged and just sat on his bed, looking around.

Zoe retreated to the makeshift bed farthest from the fire, Kouji's Digi-Egg close to her chest, much to Kouji's embarrassment.

_I am NEVER going to get used to this._

"You won't."Zoe assured him. "It's only for nineteen more days."

_Of torture from the others._

Zoe nodded glumly. "Yeah. At least they can't see your face when you blush. I have to stand the humiliation of being seen with my face red."She lay down on the makeshift bed, the egg still in her arms.

"Good night, Kouji."Zoe's green eyes started to close, and in a single millisecond, Zoe thought she saw a younger version of Lobomon sleeping next to her. Her eyes snapped back open.

"Kouji?"She looked at the Digi-Egg, still huddled close to her body. She sighed, and went back to sleep. "Good night again, Kouji."

_Good night Zoe. _was Kouji's faint reply.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey,what do you think should happen in the next chapter?I'm kinda stuck now.<strong>

**A.)We timeskip to the time Kouji's supposed to hatch,which happens before they reach Ophanimon's Castle(They're at the Flame Terminal,they traveled through the multiple forests to the Rose Morning Star,and once they reach the Dark Terminal,Kouji hatches)  
><strong>

** Or B.)We continue on for two more days of repeated teasing and more irritation coming from Kouji and Zoe.**


	5. Kouji's Hatched But Who's This?

**Ooh,letter A it is, ya know, totzu, I wonder too,but, *shrugs* It's Ok. At least they read it and it has hits,now on with the story! :3**

**Oh,before I forget,the names Flitmon,Geopardmon and Pengimon belong to akie-tara on deviant Art. She has the cuutest drawings!And the name Tutmon is from ashflura,also from deviant Art. Akie-tara didn't have a name for J.P.'s rookie,so I just used ashflura's.I hope you guys don't mind.**

* * *

><p><em><strong><em><strong>Nineteen days later, on the twentieth day...<strong>_  
><strong>_

"Isn't it supposed to be today, Bokomon?"Zoe asked the white Digimon as they walked in a forest. They were nearing Ophanimon's domain, because BlackGatomon could sense it.

Bokomon nodded before answering. "Yes, it's supposedly the twentieth day."

"Hey Z, why don't you try reminding Kouji he's supposed to be out today?"J.P. said. Zoe reluctantly shook her head, tears forming in her eyes.

"What's wrong?"Kouichi asked.

Zoe replied, choking, "On the tenth day, Kouji stopped talking to me. To us. Just, stopped."

"I was wondering why Kouji wasn't noisy."Neemon said absently, to which everyone snapped his pants, which made for quintuple the pain.

"I was afraid this would happen..."BlackGatomon muttered. Everyone looked at the cat Digimon, and she immediately mewed, "I'm afraid..."

But before she could say what she wanted, a cracking sound was heard. Everyone looked at the navy blue Digi-Egg in Zoe's arms, which had gained a crack.

"I think he's hatching!"Patamon cried in glee.

Tommy watched on, awed. Takuya shrugged, while J.P. looked at the sky. The others looked on intently, waiting for Kouji to emerge from the egg.

Soon, the crack became bigger, and with each crack, light filtered through them, until finally the egg floated in the air and its shell burst into a million pieces.

The others had run away as far as possible, but Zoe wasn't spared. The light blinded her, and she fell backwards on the grass. Shielding her eyes with her hands, she looked up in anticipation, ready to greet Kouji on his return.

But Kouji wasn't standing before her.

In the bright morning sun, Zoe could have sworn she had seen a wolf standing upright, but after the sun's light faded a little, Zoe did a double take at what, or _who _she saw.

The Digimon in front of her looked like a humanoid blue wolf, the same height as Kouji. The Digimon had a long blue scarf with the Symbol of Light in the middle, which acted like a pendant. He was practically shirtless, but he was covered with fur, so that wasn't a problem. He wore white pants, and numerous belts seemed to be adorned around his wrists, his pants and his hind paws. Red eyes blinked questioningly at Zoe.

"K-kouji?"Zoe whispered.

"Oh my!"Bokomon said in a hushed whisper. "That's Strabimon, the Wizard Digimon! He is the Rookie of Light, but ironically, he attacks with Darkness Hand!"

"Rookie of Light?"Everyone except Gatomon asked.

"That means he's the Rookie form of Lobomon!"Bokomon replied impatiently.

Zoe timidly reached out to Strabimon, who stared at her hand before staring at her face intently, his red eyes blinking slowly.

"Kouji..."Zoe slowly got up in a kneeling position and reached out more. Strabimon didn't flinch, nor did he back off, but he continued to stare at her hand and face alternately.

"What's he doing?"J.P. pestered Bokomon.

Bokomon coughed before replying, "Strabimon-Kouji-is trying to recall who she is. All Strabimon do that. Although Kouji's the first Strabimon who was a human before."

"Kouji..."Zoe was now standing up, nearly eye to eye with Strabimon. His red eyes gazed at Zoe's green ones, locked on. "Kouji... it's me..."

Strabimon's eyes widened before he hugged Zoe, to which Zoe blushed profusely.

"I can't believe it's you!"Strabimon said happily. At least he sounded like Kouji, only younger.

The others timidly approached Zoe and Strabimon. Immediately, Strabimon growled and let go of Zoe, taking a defensive stance.

"Kouji, what are you doing? Takuya and the others are friends."Zoe asked, terribly confused.

Strabimon looked from Zoe to the others, then resumed hugging the girl. "I sort of forgot."Strabimon said sheepishly. "Sorry, Flitmon."

Zoe looked utterly surprised. "Kouji, my name's Zoe, not Flitmon."

"What are you talking about, Flitmon?"Strabimon stared curiously into Zoe's eyes. "I know it's you, even if you're dressed up as a human. I can sense the Wind Spirit in you!"

"Oh my, Bokomon, a little help?"Strabimon seemed to be squeezing the life out of her. Bokomon tapped Strabimon, and the Digimon quickly withdrew his arms. Zoe had turned blue, and was now recovering her breath,

"Sorry, sorry!"Strabimon quickly apologized.

"It's OK, Kouji..."Zoe gasped a little as she breathed in and out.

Strabimon's ears cocked towards Zoe. "Who's Kouji?"

"You're Kouji!"Takuya now exclaimed, pointing at Strabimon, who shook his head.

"No, Flamemon, I'm Strabimon, remember?"Strabimon pointed to himself proudly. "You're Pengimon and Tutmon, and Geopardmon!"He pointed to Tommy, J.P., and Kouichi in turn.

"What?"Everyone was dumbfounded.

"Kouji... remember me? I'm your twin brother."Kouichi had now approached Strabimon.

"How many times to I have to repeat it, Geopardmon, I'm Strabimon! And of course I remember my twin!"He started hugging Kouichi tightly, which made Kouichi become white.

"Something's definitely wrong."Takuya mused.

"Ya think?"Kouichi rasped, rapidly losing his oxygen.


	6. Piggyback and Some Discussions

"Kouji, erk, let go of me..."Kouichi was paling considerably.

"STRABIMON!"Strabimon protested, but he let go of his choke hold, while Kouichi gratefully gulped in air.

"Honestly, Geopardmon, why do you keep forgetting?"Strabimon's red eyes glared at Kouichi, who was too preoccupied in breathing to answer. "I'm Strabimon. Not Kouji."

"Kouji..."Zoe started to speak, but Strabimon cut her off.

"Flitmon, it used to be cute, but it isn't anymore. Call me Strabimon, not some made up name!"Strabimon's paws balled up into fists.

Zoe was taken aback. "K-kouji..."

"Hey man, stop irritating her, you know what happens."J.P. cautioned Strabimon, who was facing off against a quavering Zoe.

"Buddy, you're..."Takuya was unable to finish his sentence because...

_SMACK!_

"...soooo busted."Takuya finished his sentence.

Strabimon rubbed his cheek slowly. Zoe had slapped him. _HARD._

"I don't care what you say!"Zoe screamed at him, making him shrink in fear. "I don't care if you're Strabimon! I'm calling you Kouji, that's THAT!"

Silence followed her words as she continuously clenched and unclenched her fists in one second intervals.

"...I _so _do not want to get on Zoe's bad side."Tommy broke the silence, nervously tugging on his orange hat.

Takuya nodded. "You got that right."

"...But can I call you Flitmon?"Strabimon asked in a small voice.

Zoe relaxed. "I'd rather prefer Zoe, but if it suits you."

"Zoe. I like that name."Strabimon murmured, his green eyes traveling to BlackGatomon.

BlackGatomon cleared her throat. "Um, ahem, I think it's time we headed for Ophanimon's castle?"

"THANK GOD!"Everyone except the Digimon yelled.

* * *

><p>"Kouji, slow down, we can hardly keep up with you!"Takuya panted as they tried very hard to catch up with Strabimon. Strabimon was twice as fast as Kouji, and it sort of left the others in the dust.<p>

The wolf Digimon looked back at them, sweat dropping. "Oops."

"Can't...we...rest...for...a while?"Kouichi panted.

BlackGatomon shrugged. "Why not? I'm also tired of chasing a human turned Digimon."She was also panting.

"Human turned Digimon? You mean Digimon turned human for Flitmon and the others."Strabimon saw Zoe glaring at him, and he quickly added, "I mean Zoe!"

"No, Minamoto. You're a human turned Digimon."BlackGatomon pointed out. "Why would Zoe and the others call you Kouji if you weren't human?"

Strabimon laughed. "They think it's my nickname of sorts. Strabimon fits better though."He stood in front of them, red eyes looking at them with a cheerful glint.

"Alright, I'm rested and ready to go!"Takuya stood up.

Tommy and J.P. followed after him. "We're ready too!"

"All of us are ready, I guess."BlackGatomon stood up too.

Strabimon's eyes flashed. "Hey Flitmon...er... Zoe, would you mind if I find you a ride?"

"Well, no..."Zoe trailed off because a split second later, she found herself piggybacking on Strabimon, much to her surprise.

"Kouji!"She said, turning red.

Strabimon smiled at her. "No worries! I'm just gonna carry you all the way to Ophanimon's castle! The others will walk behind us!"

"WHAT?"The remaining Digidestined demanded.

"Fine, I'll slow down."Strabimon rolled his eyes before taking off slowly. The others, relieved he wasn't running, followed the two towards the castle.

"Say, Bokomon."Tommy looked at the white Digimon as they walked. "Why is Kouji acting like that, being all nice to Zoe?"

Bokomon stopped and pulled out his book. He flipped through the pages until he found the page for Strabimon.

"Strabimon, the wizard Digimon. He is always active, and he enjoys doing work alone, unless Flitmon can help him. He is a young gentleman, but he is very strong and verbally and physically agressive. Due to circumstances unknown, Strabimon prefers Flitmon, the Rookie of Wind, over Aquariamon, the Rookie of Water."

"Oh... so my little brother has a crush on Zoe?"Kouichi covered his mouth to keep from laughing.

"Yes. That is what's written."Bokomon closed the book and returned it to his pants.

"Hey guys!"Zoe called. "You're lagging!"The two were already ten meters away from the others.

"Oops! Sorry!"The others quickly ran towards them in a hurry.

"What were you looking at, guys?"Zoe asked tentatively.

"Oh... nothing..."Everyone except Strabimon and Zoe whistled. Zoe narrowed her eyes, but otherwise she didn't say anything else, because they were already ten yards away from Ophanimon's castle.

* * *

><p><strong>Whoops.I made a mistake about Strabimon.I'll fix that up right now.<strong>


	7. Can I ask a Favor?

_**After covering ten yards worth of distance...**_

"I'm tired!"Takuya, Tommy and J.P. whined. Kouichi was staggering after them, sleepy and cranky because Neemon and Bokomon had decided to ride on him. Patamon was flying, because he didn't want to annoy Kouichi.

Zoe giggled. "That's because you don't have a piggyback ride!"

"Well, lemme ride on Kouji's back!"Takuya panted.

Strabimon looked at Takuya, his red eyes teasing. "Sorry! Ride reserved for Flit-er, Zoe!"He responded to both Strabimon and Kouji now.

"AW MAN!"

Everyone laughed at Takuya as he complained about being tired. Tommy and J.P. were also tired, but they knew better than to complain like Takuya. Kouichi sighed.

"We're here."BlackGatomon said suddenly.

Everyone skidded to a stop, especially Strabimon, who nearly made Zoe fly off his back. Luckily the girl had been clinging tightly to him, so he was spared the girl's wrath when she flew off.

They looked up at the Rose Morning Star in awe, except for the Digimon, excluding Strabimon.

"It's as beautiful as I remembered."Zoe said dreamily. "Let's go, guys."

Strabimon continued to carry her, while Takuya had shut up, looking at the Rose Morning Star. They marveled at the glass floors which reflected the sunlight, and Neemon nearly slipped on the smooth floor.

"Lady Ophanimon?"BlackGatomon called. Her voice echoed throughout the whole castle until she heard a faint voice. "BlackGatomon?"

The cat's eyes widened. "Mother!"She dashed off towards the voice, which was in the left wing of the castle. The others jogged to keep up with her, and Strabimon was dashing with inhuman speed, Zoe clinging to him for dear life.

"BlackGatomon!"As they turned around the corner, they saw two Nefertimon and Ophanimon waiting. One Nefertimon had a black and white gem necklace around her neck, and that identified her as BlackGatomon's mother.

"Ophanimon!"Zoe and the others looked at Ophanimon. The angel Digimon hadn't changed since their last encounter.

Ophanimon smiled. "Digidestined. I was expecting you."Looking at them each in turn, she then noticed BlackGatomon and Strabimon. "Who's this?"

"Lady Ophanimon, that is my daughter, BlackGatomon."The Nefertimon with a necklace said as BlackGatomon happily hugged her mother."Though I'm not sure about the wolf Digimon though."

'Ah, well, you see..."Takuya trailed off.

Ophanimon suddenly exclaimed, "Where's Minamoto? The child of Light?"

"See, that's it, Ophanimon, you see..."J.P. trailed off before continuing. "Er, while we were far away from your castle, Zoe and Kouji encountered a LadyDevimon, which was BlackGatomon."The aforementioned Digimon cringed at the memory.

Tommy continued J.P.'s story. "LadyDevimon was aiming for Kouji, because supposedly he was the light, but even then she sounded like she was in a trance. She tried to impale me, but Lobomon stepped in the way, so LadyDevimon impaled him instead, and I was spared."

"Then Kouji's Fractal Code appeared, and LadyDevimon took it without a second thought. Lowemon then attacked LadyDevimon, and her own Fractal Code appeared, which he purified and that made her revert into BlackGatomon."Takuya looked down. "After that, it took a while before Kouji's black form changed. He turned into a Digi-Egg that day."

Ophanimon looked at him, gesturing for them to go on.

"BlackGatomon started explaining things before she made us touch his Digi-Egg to find out who would take care of him. Apparently I was the one."Zoe said, her cheeks turning a slight pink. "Then we tried talking to him, and he responds, at least. He could also control branches while he was an egg."

"Here's proof."Kouichi showed Ophanimon the bruise he received when Kouji whacked him.

"Now, on the tenth day, Kouji stopped talking to us, and we were worried, Zoe especially."Takuya said. Zoe's blush became darker. "BlackGatomon led us here to your castle to ask what we could do when he hatched. Then on the twentieth day, which is today, he hatched of course, but..."

Everyone pointed to Strabimon behind his back. Of course Strabimon was oblivious to their pointing.

"I see..."Ophanimon looked at Strabimon. "Come here, Strabimon."

Zoe let go of Strabimon, and the human-turned-Digimon walked up curiously to Ophanimon. The angel Digimon raised his chin, and saw the emblem of light on his scarf.

"Oh my..."Ophanimon was distraught. "This has only happened once, but it was easily overcome because the boy had easily recovered his memories through..."Ophanimon trailed off. "Ah, you're not supposed to know, you're too young. Still, I wonder if that would work with Strabimon here, but it's bound to be difficult, because he's a Rookie of a Legendary Warrior..."

Everyone except Strabimon looked sad. Strabimon saw that they were sad, and he asked, "What's wrong?"

"Oh nothing..."Zoe sniffed. "Nothing, Kouji."

"If you're sure..."Strabimon looked concerned. "I mean, you look pretty sad."

"Ah, it's OK, I'm fine."Zoe smiled weakly, but he wasn't reassured. Looking at her once more, he turned to Ophanimon. "Can I ask a favor?"

"Of course, Minamoto."Ophanimon smiled.

Strabimon looked sheepish as he asked, rubbing his head, "Do you have any food?"

Everyone except Ophanimon and Strabimon fell backwards anime style.


	8. FOOD!

"And to think I thought Takuya and J.P. were pigs..."Zoe muttered.

"HEY!"The two boys protested.

Ophanimon laughed. "Of course. Aquariamon will show you the way. Aquariamon?"

"Wait, Aquariamon?"Strabimon took a step back for his dear life.

Zoe looked at him questioningly. "What's up with Kouji?"

"Strabimon liked Flitmon, Rookie of Wind, but he is chased by Aquariamon, the Rookie of Water. Ya know, like a fangirl."Takuya explained.

"STRABIMON!"A high pitched voice squealed.

Strabimon's red eyes shrank in fear. "Oh no..."

Out of the glass doors on the right emerged a female Digimon, possibly the same height as Zoe. She had black hair that reached up to her elbows, and red eyes like Ranamon's, only cuter and more Digimon like. A small tiara made of coral rested on her head. Her top was light blue, and a single red gem rested on the middle of each strap. Her skirt was short, but it fitted her, and her boots were red and blue, with red gems on each of them. Her gloves were made of seaweed.

"Strabimon!"Aquariamon squealed before she started to chase him around.

Strabimon ran for dear life. "HEEEEELP!"He yelped as Aquariamon chased him around the throne room. The others laughed, while Zoe covered her mouth to hide her giggles as Aquariamon chased him, hearts in her eyes.

"Come on, Strabimon! I just want to give you a hug!"Aquariamon begged, trying to catch up with the wolf Digimon.

"NOO!"Strabimon finally stopped running, and he hid behind Zoe, shaking. Aquariamon skidded to a stop as she looked at Zoe disdainfully.

"Oh. Hello, sugar."Aquariamon said, her accent like Ranamon's. "If you would excuse me, I am trying to hug Strabimon here."

"Nonononono! Zoe, don't let her!"Strabimon begged.

Ophanimon said, "Aquariamon, just lead them to the dining room. Stop chasing Strabimon for once and help out."

Aquariamon sighed before saying, "Yes, Lady Ophanimon. Please follow me to the dining room."She exited the throne room through the glass doors on the right, with the Digidestined and the Digimon following her. Aquariamon had to twitch lots of times before she calmed down and opened a door made of leaves. "Here we are."

"WOW!"J.P., Takuya and Tommy drooled while Zoe and the others sweat dropped, especially Aquariamon. The whole table was filled with food that actually existed, and not rabbit food that tasted like meat. Random Digimon were entering in and out of the dining room and the kitchen.

"Welcome!"A Burgermon said cheerfully. "Dig in, you guys!"

J.P. headed for the burgers, while Takuya headed for the chicken. Tommy dashed towards the pastries, and Zoe looked for pasta. Strabimon and the other Digimon ate anything they wanted, while Kouichi looked for sushi.

"Molto bonno!"Zoe exclaimed, eating her lasagna. "It's so delicious!"

"You're telling me!"Takuya said while he chomped on a piece of fried chicken.

Tommy laughed as he dug into his chocolate cake. "It's delicious, isn't it?"

"I'm in sushi heaven!"Kouichi laughed as he picked up a sushi with chopsticks and ate it.

J.P. dug into his cheeseburger, sighing in contentment. "I could just live here!"

"You humans are so weird."BlackGatomon commented, eating salmon.

Aquariamon munched her seaweed salad. "I'm lucky I don't have to travel with them."

Strabimon didn't speak, because he was staring at the ceiling, or rather, the item on his plate which _reached _the ceiling. It was a tall, wobbling piece of red jelly, and it was mesmerizing to look at for Strabimon. The others looked at him, then at the jelly before staring at it too.

"You can eat all of that?"Kouichi asked him, but in a split second Strabimon had cut the jelly into millions of pieces and ate it all, smirking.

"I beg to differ."Strabimon said. "Digimon have bottomless stomachs, especially the in training ones."

"Smart aleck."Takuya whispered to Aquariamon, who nearly spat out her seaweed in laughter before remembering something.

"Digidestined, after you eat, Ophanimon needs you somewhere. I kinda forgot where, so you'll have to wander the castle. I'm due for caring for the garden."She stood up and briskly left the room.

"Hm..."Zoe just looked at the retreating back of Aquariamon before finishing off her lasagna.

* * *

><p><em><strong>After eating...<strong>_

"OH COME ON! HOW BIG IS THIS CASTLE?"Takuya yelled, his voice bouncing off the walls. They had entered five wrong doors, looked into two empty rooms, and even at one point ended up in the gardens, much to Aquariamon's chagrin. Currently they were in a hallway with ten glass doors that looked exactly alike.

"Let's see here... whoops, wrong door."Strabimon peeked in the first glass door and immediately shut it, his face red.

Takuya peeked in the second door, and immediately there was a cry of, "FLOWER CANNON!"

"YEOW!"Takuya got hit full blast by the Lillymon's Flower Cannon. His face burned as he closed it slowly.

Zoe peeked in the third and fourth doors, which were empty. She then looked in the fifth door, where she finally found Ophanimon.

"Hey guys, I found her!"Zoe opened the door entirely, and the others entered the room, which was divided into two. The half where Ophanimon stood was with a couch, and three Digimon scuttled about carrying metallic items. The other half was covered by a curtain.

"Digidestined, I believe you got lost?"Ophanimon chuckled lightly as the others looked embarrassedly at their shoes, or paws. "Never mind, Aquariamon never did have a good memory."

"What is this room?"Strabimon asked while Takuya tried to peek at what was behind the curtains. One of the three Digimon-a Palmon-slapped him away, and he groaned as he walked back to the group.

Ophanimon smiled. "You'll find out soon enough. For now, I need a volunteer."

"For what?"The others except the Digimon asked.

"Datamon-the one Tommy met at the Autumn Leaf Fair-has found another method to recover Kouji's memories and former self, but we need a volunteer to trigger the recovery of his memories."

"Who wants to volunteer?"Ophanimon asked again.


End file.
